Poor retail sales, stocks pull back

Stocks declined on poor retail sales. Dow is down 40, decliners ahead of advancers 3-2 and NAZ is down 9. Retail sales came in sluggish at best, pretty much in line with expectations. Target (TGT) announced it expects lower same store sales in Dec, down 1.45. Another big retailer, Macy's (M) was off 1.67. Master Card said holiday spending rose a modest 3.6%. Not good. Repayment of credit card debt has slipped in recent months. The home mortgage mess continues. And oil is back over $95. But volume continues light as many are away.